Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 11 · Account 28
…Three women the same time burned in Smithfielde, Katherine Hut, Elizabeth Thackuell, and Ioane Homes.
THe nexte day after the Martyrdome of thys lame and blinde mā aboue specified, in the sayd monethmonth of May,May. 16. were brought to the fire 3. women, wyth whom also was adioyned an other, who being in the same constancy wyth them, was likewise partaker of the sayde condemnation. The names of these were.
Katherine Hut of Bocking, Widowe.
Ioane Hornes of Billerica, Maide.Katherin Hutte, Eliz…beth Thackuell, Ioane Hornes, Martirs.
Elizabeth Thackuel of great Bursted, Maide.
Margaret Ellys of Billerica, Maide.
How these with diuers other mo were persecuted and sent vp, especially by Syr Iohn Mordant, and Edmunde Tyrrell Esquier, Iustices of Peace, this their Letter following will declare.
A Letter sent vntounto Boner Bishop of London, from Sir Iohn Mordant Knight, and Edmund Tyrrell Esquire, Iustices of peace for the Countie of Essex.
OVr humble commendations to your Lordshippe: these shall be to aduertise you,A letter of certayne persecuting Iustices to Boner. that we hauehave sent vntounto your good Lordship, Ioane Potter, the wife of Hughe Potter, Iames Harrys, seruaunt of William Harrys of Bromhill, & Margaret Ellys, for that they be not conformable to the orders of the Churche, nor to the reall presence of Christes body and bloude in the Sacrament of the aultare, to vse your Lordships pleasure with them, as you thinke good, not doubting with the punishmēt of these and the other before sent to your Lordship, but that the parishe of great Burstede and Billerica shall bee broughte to good conformitye. Thus committing your good Lordship to the tuition of almightie God, wee take our leaue. From great Burstede this present second day of March. 1556.
Your Lordships to command, Iohn Mordant. Edmund Tyrrel.
After the receit of these Letters, Bishoppe Boner entring to examination of these 4. women aboue named, laid and obiected the lyke Articles to them, as after his vsuall forme he vsed to minister, and are before expressed. Whereunto the sayd women likewise agreeing in the same vnitie of spirite and doctrine, accorded in theyr aunsweares, much agreeing vntounto the other before them.
As first, to the Article in the firste place obiected they, consented and graunted, beleeuing the sayde Article to be true in eueryevery part thereof.
2. To the second, partly they answeared,The simple ignorance of these women had more neede to be instructed then they to be burned. they could not tel what a Sacrament is, Elizabeth Thackuell, and Katherin Hut, adding moreouer, that matrimonie & Baptisme, and the Lords supper, were Sacraments ordained in the churche: but whether the other specified in thys article, be sacraments (as they heard them called) ordained by God or not, they could not tell, Margaret Ellys being examined seuerally, as the other were, vpō the same, how many sacraments there were, answeared (as a yong mayde vnskilled, in her simple ignoraunce) that shee coulde not tell. Howbeit she had heard (she sayd) that there was one Sacrament, but what it was she could not tell. &c.
3 To the thirde likewyse they graunted, that they were baptised by their godfathers and godmothers, which godfathers and godmothers (sayde Margaret Ellys) did not then know so much, as shee now doth knowe: Katherine Hut adding wythall, and saying, that shee was baptised: but what her godfather & godmothers did then promise for her in her name, shee could not tell. &c.
4 To the fourth article, Margaret Ellys, and Elizabeth Thackuel did graunt therunto: Katherin Hut said moreouer, that shee beinge of the age of 14. yeares, was of the faith wherein shee was Christened, and yet neuerthelesse the said faith in that age (shee sayde) was but a deade faith, because shee did not then vnderstand what she did beleue. Ioane Hornes added that shee being 11. yeares of age, began to learne the faith set foorth in K. Edwards dayes, in the which faith and religion (she sayd) she hath hetherto, & yet doth, & so wil hereafter continue, God so assisting her.
5 To the fift article, they answeared and confessed, according al in this effect, that as touching ye Masse,Agaynst the Masse and Sacrament of the Aultar. they knew no goodnesse in it, and as touching the Sacramente of the altar, they beleeued yt Christes natural body is in heauen, and not in the sacrament of the altar: And as concernyng the sea of Rome, they acknowledged no such supremacy in that sea, neither hauehave they any thing to do therewith.
6 In aunswearing the sixt article, they did all generally refu…e to be reconciled or vnited to the church of Rome: or anye other Churche contrary to that wherein they nowe stoode and did professe.
7 To the seuenth article they aunsweared lik…wyse that they had so done & sayde in all things, as is in thys article contained: Katherine Hutte adding moreouer the reason why: for that (sayd she) neither the seruice in Latin, Masse, Mattens, and Euensong, nor the Sacraments were vsed and ministred according to gods word: And furthermore, that the Masse is an idoll, neither is the true body & bloud of Christ in the Sacramente of the aultare, as they make men beleeue.
8 Their aunswere to the eight Article, declared that they were all and eueryevery one sent vppe to Boner by syr Iohn Mordant knight,Syr Iohn Mordant Promoter. and iustice of peace in Essex (the Lord of his mercy send vsus better Iustices I beseeche him) for that they coulde not affirme the presence of Christes bodye and bloude to be truely and really in the Sacramente, and for that they came not to theyr popish parish Church.
9 To the ninth article, they aunswered and confessed the premisses thereof to be true, and denied not the same: saue that Katherin Hut sayd, that she was of Bocking in Essex of the peculiare iurisdiction of Canterbury, and not of the diocesse and iurisdiction of London.
After these their answeres receiued, they were produced againe about the 13. of Aprill to further examination, and so at length to their finall iudgement, where Katherin Hut widowe standing before the bishop boldly & constantly stoode to that which she hadde sayde before,Katherin Hutte. neither yeelding to his faire promises, nor ouerthrowne with his terrour. Who being required of the Sacrament to say her minde, and to reuoke her selfe vntounto the fellowshyp of the Catholicke faith,The wordes of Katherin Hutte, of the Sacramēt. openly protested, saying: I deny it to be God, because it is a dumme God and made wyth mans handes. Wherein the good and faithfull Martyr of Christe firmely persisting, so receiued her sentence, being condemned of Boner to the fire: which shee wyth great constancie sustained by the grace and strength of the Lorde, and dyd abide for the cause and louelove of Christ.
Ioane Hornes maid, producted likewise to her iudgement and condemnation, wyth like firmnesse and Christian fortitude,Ioane Hornes mayde. declared her selfe a true Martyr and folower of Christes Testament, geuing no place to the aduersary: but being charged that she did not beleeue the Sacrament of Christes body and bloude to be Christe himselfe, of the which Sacrament (contrary to ye nature of a Sacrament) the aduersaries are woont to make an idoll seruice: to this shee protesting openly her minde, sayde as followeth: If you can make your God to shed bloud, or to shew any cō dition of a true liuely body, then will I beleeue you: but it is but bread (as touching the substaunce therof) meaning the matter whereof the Sacrament cōsisteth:The wordes and profession of Ioane Hornes touching the Sacrament. and that you call heresie, I trust to serue my Lord God in. &c.
And as concerning the Romish sea, she said: my Lord (speaking to Boner) I forsake all his abhominatiōs, and from them good lord deliuer vsus. From this her stable and constant assertion, when the Bishop was too weake to remooue her, and too ignorant to conuince her, he knockt her downe wyth the butcherly axe of hys sentence.The Butcherly axe of Boner. And so the holy Uirgine and Martyr committed to the shambles of the secular sword, was offered vp with her other felowes a burnt sacrifice to the Lord, In odorem bonae fragrantiae, in the sauour of a sweete and pleasant smell.
As touching Margaret Ellis, shee likewise perseuering in her foresayde confession, and resisting the false Catholicke errours and heresies of the Papistes,Ma…garet Ellys dy… in Newgate was by the sayd Boner adiudged and condemned: but before the time of her burning came, preuented by death in Newgate prison, departed and slept in the Lord.
No lesse strength in the grace of the Lorde appeared in the other maide Elizabeth Thackuell, whose hearte and minde the Lorde had so confirmed in hys truth,Elizabeth Thackuell, Mayde and Martyr. so armed with patience, that as her aduersaries could by no sufficient knowledge of Scripture conuicte her affirmation, so by no forceable attempts, they could remooue her confession. Whereuppon shee standing to the death, being in lyke sorte condemned, by the sayd vnbyshoplyke foreign, gaue her life willingly and mildely for the confirmation & sealing vp of the sincere truth of Gods woord.*i. A persecutor.
These iij. innocent and godly women, thus falsly and wrongfully by men condemned for the iust quarel & cause of Gods Gospell, were had to Smithfield, and there cruelly bounde to the stake, gaue their bodies to the tormentours, their spirites they commended to God. For whose glorye they were willing and ready to suffer what soeuer the cruel handes of theyr enemies should woorke agaynst them, dying more ioyfully in the flaming fire, then some of
The Martyrdome of three women.
The Martyrdome of Katherine Hutte, Ioane Hornes, Elizabeth Thackuell, in Smithfield. Anno. 1556. May. 16.them that burned them, did peraduenture in theyr beds. Suthe a Lorde is God, glorious and woonderfull in all hys Saintes. The Martyrdome of these Saints of God, was the 16. of May.
Thomas Drowry a blinde boy, and Thomas Croker Bricklayer, Martyrs.
YEe heard a litle before, of two men, the one blinde,May 5. T. Drowry a blind boy, and Tho. Croker, Martyrs. Persecution at Glocester. Of this blynd boy, read before, pag. 1509. the other lame, which suffered about the 15. of Maye. And heere is not to be forgotten an other as Godly a couple, whiche suffered the like passion and Martyrdome for the same cause of Religion at Glocester, of the which two, the one was the blind boy, named Tho. Drowrie, mentioned before in the hystorie of B. Hooper, whom the sayd vertuous Byshop confirmed then in the Lorde, and in the doctrine of hys woorde.
With him also was burned an other in the same place, and at the same fire in Glocester, about the fifth of Maye, whose name was Thomas Croker Bricklayer.
Concerning the which blinde boy, howe long he was in prison, and in what yere he suffered, I am not certaine. Of this credible intelligence I hauehave receiued by the testimonie of ye Register then of Glocester, named Ihon Tailer, aliàs Barker, that the sayde blinde boy at his last examination and finall condemnation, was brought (by the Officers, vnderunder whose custodie he had remained) before doctour Williams then Chauncellour of Glocester, sittinge Iudicially wyth the sayd Register in the consistorie, neare vntounto the Southe doore, in the neather ende of the Churche of Glocester. Where the sayde Chauncellour then ministred vntounto the sayde Boye such vsuall articles, as they are accustomed in such cases, and are sondry times mentioned in thys booke. Amongest which, he chiefly vrged the article of Transubstantiation, saying in effect as followeth.
Chauncellor.
Doest thou not beleue, that after the words of consecration spoken by the Priest, there remayneth the very reall body of Christ in the Sacrament of the altare?
Tho.
To whome the blinde Boy answeared: No, that I doe not.
Chauncel.
Then thou art an hereticke, and shalt be burned: But who hath taught thee thys heresie?
Thom.
You, M. Chancellor.
Chancel.
Where I pray thee?
Thom.
Euen in yonder place: Poynting with his hande, and tourning towardes the Pulpet, standinge vppon the North side of the Church.
Chancel.
When did I teache thee so.
Tho.
When you preached there (namyng the day) a Sermon to all men, as well as to me, vppon the Sacrament. You sayd, the Sacrament was to bee receiued spiritually by fayth, and not carnally and really, as the papistes hauehave heretofore taught.
Chanc.
Then do as I hauehave done, and thou shalt lyue as I do, and escape burnyng.
Tho.
Though you can so easily dispense with your self, and mocke with God, the world, and your conscience, yet I will not so do.
Chanc.
Then God hauehave mercy vponupon thee: for I will read the condemnatory sentence against thee.
Tho.
Gods will be fulfilled.
The Register beyng herewith somwhat mooued, stood vp, and said to the Chancellor.
Register.
Fie for shame man, will you read the sentence against hym, and condemne your selfe? away, away, & substitute some other to geue sentence and iudgement.
Chanc.
No Register, I will obey the lawe, and geue sentence my selfe accordyng to myne office.
And so he red the sentence condemnatory agaynst the boy, (with an vnhappy tongue, and a more vnhappy conscience) deliuering him ouer vntounto the secular power. Who the said v. day of May, brought the said blinde boy to the place of execution at Glocester: together with one Thomas Croker a Bricklayer, condemned also for the like testimony of the truth. Where both together in one fire, most constantly and ioyfully yelded their soules into the hands of the Lord Iesus. Ex testimo. Io. Lond.